Family of missing Chicagoan Taylor Casey joins search in Bahamas after she vanishes from yoga retreat

CHICAGO (WLS) — The family of a Chicago woman missing in the Bahamas said they are doing everything they can to find her after speaking to the island nation’s police on Wednesday.

Taylor Casey was in the middle of a month-long retreat with Yoga Retreat Bahamas on Paradise Island to become a yoga teacher when she stopped showing up for class on June 20.

Casey’s mother said she was “deeply concerned for Taylor’s safety and well-being” and that Taylor “would never disappear like that.”

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“It was difficult and intense,” said her best friend Emily Williams. “It’s something no one wants to do, but we did it today and it’s not an easy process.”

The 41-year-old’s family met with police today and said they were relieved to receive an update on the status of the investigation and to find out what resources are being used to find her. Relatives told ABC7 that Casey had always been very close to her family, so it was strange not to hear from her.

“I was just at home waiting for Taylor to show me some of these yoga poses,” said her mother, Colette Seymore. “Taylor said she would come and do this.”

Two days after she was reported missing, the Royal Bahamas Police Force released a “Missing Person” poster to alert the public.

Casey’s disappearance came amid a still-in-force US State Department Level 2 alert from January, urging travelers to “exercise increased caution due to crime in the Bahamas.”

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She attended the yoga retreat to achieve her long-term goal of deepening her practice. Her family said they felt safe because she was attending the retreat with many others, and held on to the positive energy they say Casey always brings.

“Taylor loved yoga. She’s been doing it for 15 years,” her mother said. “Taylor just loved people. Taylor is loving, caring and always so quick to help people.”

Williams and Seymore said they would be back searching for her Thursday evening. The family has set up several social media pages to support their search and is asking everyone to spread the word to help find her.

Her family said they would coordinate with local authorities once they land in the Bahamas on Tuesday to search for Taylor.

A US State Department spokesman issued a statement saying:

We have received reports of a US citizen missing in the Bahamas.

When a U.S. citizen goes missing, we work closely with local authorities to search for them and, where possible, share information with families.

The State Department has no higher priority than the well-being and safety of U.S. citizens abroad. We stand ready to provide assistance to U.S. citizens and their families in need.

For data protection reasons, we do not wish to comment further on this matter.

Yoga Retreat Bahamas issued the following statement:

“Yoga Retreat Bahamas confirms the disappearance of a participant at a yoga certification retreat and has asked police to investigate the case. The organization has also notified the U.S. Embassy as well as Taylor Casey’s family. Ms. Casey’s disappearance was discovered on June 20 when she failed to attend morning classes. She was last seen at the retreat late in the evening of June 19. In the meantime, the organization is cooperating with authorities in the investigation.”

Her family is asking anyone with information on her whereabouts to come forward, saying any information is crucial to finding her.